


A Lonely Flickering Flame, A Singular Drop of Water

by fujisaki_chii



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Dangan Fairytale AU, F/M, rarepair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-25
Updated: 2013-08-25
Packaged: 2018-01-05 19:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1097615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fujisaki_chii/pseuds/fujisaki_chii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She tried to forget his eyes; those blazing blue eyes that held all of the intensity of the flame from which he was born, but all the serenity of the water to which she was bound.  She was unable to forget, and doomed to remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lonely Flickering Flame, A Singular Drop of Water

**Author's Note:**

> This was a request! I would honestly never ship this two outside of this AU, but man did I really love writing this story! I don’t think it’s great, and it’s very out of character in my opinion, but I worked hard on it! I would assume this is set waaaaay before Naegi even enters the forest.  
> This is being transferred in from Tumblr because I need to start actually compiling my stories somewhere hahahaha whoops
> 
> I DO NOT OWN DANGAN FAIRYTALE THE AU WAS CREATED BY THE WONDERFUL TUMBLR USER ACTUALMONDO

A soft, flighty tune cascaded through the forest, filling the empty spaces with the calming sounds of a babbling brook, the airy sound acting as an instant calm to anybody around. A pond sat towards the middle of the forest, its clean waters serene and swirling with the life dwelling beneath the crystalline surface. Asahina continued to let the sounds escape her lips as she skimmed the surface of the pond, her pond, with the tips of her fingers. Her lips curled into a smile as a row of ducklings appeared from behind a clump of reeds, letting out little quacks as they paddled to greet her halfway across the pond. She laughed, skimming the little feathers on the duckling’s backs, hearing the contented little coos they were emitting. Being a water naiad, she was very familiar with all the residents of her pond, and made it her duty to greet new ones and protect them all from the harm that lived throughout the forest. She turned her head, her coffee-colored hair swaying a bit in the light spring breeze; a deer came to approach her pond, its ears pricked up curiously. She beckoned for it to come closer, “Don’t be afraid, you’re free to drink all you’d like!” The dear moved a little closer, about to duck its head to drink from the pool…

A loud FWOOSH! Echoed around the clearing, sending the deer bolting back into the forest and the other water-dwelling animals into cover. The naiad let out a confused cry, looking around for whatever had made the noise. The foul scent of smoke reached Asahina’s nose, and she crinkled it up, waving her hand to try to clear the air, which was now becoming ever so slightly smoggy. A burst of light emanated in front of her, and then vanished, appearing at another space in trees to her right. The light kept moving, flickering from place to place, the wicked sound of laughter beginning to penetrate the air. “Enough!” she screamed, launching a small missile of pond water at the light, which had appeared right in front of her. A yell came from the area, and then there was silence. 

“Geez, are you crazy?! That hurt!” A smoldering, peach-skinned boy appeared from the bushes, his hair a dull orange, waterlogged and hanging in his face like a limp animal. His clothes were ragged and burned, chains shackled firmly around his wrists. He didn’t look angry, but more annoyed than anything; his blue eyes were intense and off-putting with the rest of his appearance, but they reminded Asahina of the water that she dwelled in. The boy let out a little cough, a plume of smoke flowing from his mouth, disappearing into the now-clearing air. He closed his eyes, and then burst into flames. His hair exploded into a fiery red, crackling and flickering atop his head; his skin color darkened, and tattoos like embers covered his arms, the entire area which he stood basking in a warm light. Asahina frowned, furrowing her brow and pointing a finger accusingly at him. 

“Just what in the hell do you think you were doing?!” she yelled at him, obviously catching him by surprise with the volume of her voice, seeing as he stumbled backwards and landed on the ground with a hard thump, burning the grass around where he fell. She let out an annoyed sigh and pressed her fingers to her temples. “Who are you? And what do you think you’re doing messing with the creatures around here?” He tilted his head a bit, a devilish smile playing on his lips as he stood up again, walking closer her. She moved backwards, retreating from the heat he exuded from his body. 

“The name’s Leon. I’m a pretty kick-ass fire spirit, if I do say so myself. I obviously gave you a fright,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. The water spirit let out a little cry of pain as he came in contact with her, a bit of the water that flowed within her evaporating into the air, causing Leon to retreat a bit, letting out a little mumble of apology. She squinted, trying to regain herself despite the burning pain in her hand. “Did I hurt you? Geez, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to-” she sent a little bolt of water flying and hit him square in the chest, and now it was his turn to let out a small grunt of pain as his body dimmed, almost immediately regaining its brilliant color.

He looked at her angrily, his mouth open to protest, but she cut him off. “My name is Asahina, and I am the guardian of this pond. Now, if you know what’s good for you, get out of here! That was very disrespectful of you to just come marching in like this! Please, just go back where you came from and leave this place alone.” Leon looked a bit hurt, but trudged back where he had come from nonetheless. The naiad let out a little sigh and went to work repairing the burned sections of grass, singing again to get the animals to come out from hiding. As she worked, she could think of nothing but the fire spirit, and what would happen if he ever came around here again.

Leon lightly stepped through the grass, leaving little burn marks where his feet had come in contact with the vegetation. The intensity of the summer heat made him feel joyous and revitalized, with the heat of the sun beating down on his back. As he walked, he heard it; that singing. He remembered the first day he had heard it very well; it was the day he had come in contact with that water naiad. A sigh escaped his lips as the music surrounded him, his feet moving on their own back to where Asahina dwelled. He stopped just before the clearing, dimming himself so that he wouldn’t be seen as he watched the water spirit sitting atop the surface of her pond, the notes hanging in the air sounded like a mighty waterfall, but it was sweet and soft like sound sounds of water running over smooth stones.

Leon tiptoed over to a rock on the outskirts of the clearing, sitting down on the rough surface and bringing his legs high enough the rest one arm over his knee, the other one bent so that he could rest his chin on the palm of his hand. He closed his eyes and mindlessly began muttering a little tune of his own, mingling in with the voice of the water naiad. After a while, his voice clearly caught her attention, because she whipped around and looked at him, narrowing her eyes at him.

"So you’re back? May I ask why?" He shrugged, not wanting to admit that he had come to hear her voice.

"I was in the area and I decided to stop by, y’know, pay you a visit." She rolled her eyes, obviously not amused, but she returned back to resting atop her pond, continuing her song. Leon joined in again, loud enough to be at the same volume as hers. The song penetrated the air with a new-born feeling of life; no longer quite as gentle as Asahina’s on her own, but more lively and eccentric with the aid of Leon’s deeper and more jovial voice. The fire spirit’s gaze was transfixed on Asahina, and he couldn’t help but notice how good she looked with the sun shining on her caramel-colored skin; her eyes were closed, and the blue in her hair seemed to swirl like a current. He shook his head and continued his singing, but was still unable to tear his gaze away from the naiad. They simply sat and sang, enjoying each other’s company until the sun went down and the moon was high in the sky, basking its milky glow over the surface of the pond.

For the next few weeks, Leon had appeared at her pond every few days to simply sit and watch her go about her daily business; it hadn’t been strange or tense for either of them, since both of them usually had very little company from other beings such as themselves. Weeks turned into months, and before they knew it it was almost a normal routine. One day, when the crisp fall air was especially nippy and the beautiful auburn leaves swirled in the breeze, Leon decided it was the time to start a conversation, since so few words were ever actually passed between them. “So, are you sure you’re not some kind of siren?” 

She was clearly confused by the question, tilting her head slightly. “Not that I’m aware. Why?”

“Because I’ve met a siren before, and I swear the reason I was drawn here was because of your voice.” He had met a siren a long time ago, and the effect was so similar to what he experienced when he had first met Asahina; it was a feeling of absolute infatuation, and the inability to stop it. Asahina became a little flushed, stuttering for a response.  
“I-I don’t think I have any power in my voice! I just sing because it passes the time… it can get pretty dull around here. No one usually comes around here besides the forest animals, and occasionally I’ll get company, but besides that I’m normally alone around here,” she muttered, swirling the water with the tip of her finger. Leon could sympathize with her; he was routinely alone, and it wasn’t all that much fun. “I’m glad you’ve started to come around,” she admitted, “We don’t talk much, but it’s just nice having company.” She smiled and him and let out a little laugh, causing Leon’s cheeks to, quite literally, burn.

The days wore on, and they talked continuously, nearly all their time together being spent conversing. They talked about things they liked, things they disliked, what they thought of the other beings of the forest, and sometimes just about miscellaneous topics such as the weather and the position of the clouds. Slowly, they had become closer; maybe, just a little too close. Some kind of bond formed between them, one that was unbreakable and made the both of them happier just being near each other. One crisp, cool, night under a full moon, they watched the fireflies flitter around the surface of the pond, making beautiful little personal constellations, so they both liked to think.  
Leon propped his head on his hand and looked at the naiad; the blue in her hair had taken on an almost milky color with the light of the moon, and her skin glistened palely, almost as though it were water itself. Feeling his gaze on her, she turned her head and looked at him, letting the corners of her mouth turn up in a smile. Without actually meaning to, his eyes locked onto her lips and started to lean in, still looking up at her for some kind of approval. She followed suit, and they quickly placed their lips to each other; however, it didn’t last long.

Both of them let out little cries of pain and stumbled away from each other; Leon had fizzled out quite a considerable amount, and Asahina grasped her hands over her mouth, trying to make the burning subside. She removed her hands and a bout of steam evaporated into the night air; her lips looked burned, blistered and red, though she knew from the experience with her hand that it would heal quickly. Leon reignited himself, his face converting to a look of horror when he saw what he had done to her. “I… I’m so sorry,” he murmured, reaching out to try and comfort her, but stopping in his tracks. Asahina looked at him, their eyes connecting, and in that moment, they were crushed by the knowledge that the bond they shared together was love; love that could never be acted upon, simply because of who they were and things they were unable to change. 

Asahina let out a little whimper, bowing her head, tears threatening to spill. She had never connected with anyone before; never once in her life had she had someone that she could consider a friend, much less something more. Everyone who knew her had left, leaving her alone and stranded it what she thought of as her prison. Leon had visited her nearly every day for the past few months, and they had shared a lot together; things that she knew both of them had never been able to share with anyone before. “No. I’m sorry. It’s my fault this happened. I should have kept you away, when you tried to come back before, but I couldn’t. Now we’re in this mess, and it’s all because I wasn’t smart enough to tell you to leave…”

“No, that’s not true, I-” he tried to interject, but she cut him off before he could finish his statement.

“Get out of here.” Leon froze in shock, balling his hands into fists. He shook his head in refusal, but was instantly hit with a splash of water. He let out a cry and jumped to his feet, backing away from the naiad. She was enraged, the usually calm water of the pond swirling with all the strength of a whirlpool; her eyes blazed and tears spilled down her face. “Get out of here right now!” The fire spirit could feel himself heating up more, flames dancing in the shadow around his body, anger and sadness swirling inside of him. The water naiad aimed another blast of water at him, one that would have sent him stumbling into the bushes, had he not countered it with a blaze of fire that shot from his palm; when the two elements hit, they turned into steam with a loud hiss, disappearing after a couple of seconds.

“Don’t you understand?! This is why I should have told you to leave; should have stopped trying to get closer to you. We are natural opposites, and we could never exist in close contact! It’s the way things are, and the way they always will be!” She cried, the venom in her voice fading into a shaky whisper. “Leave. Please, please, please, don’t come back here.” Leon calmed himself, his natural glow dimming at her words. He blinked, and bowed his head, turning to retreat back into the forest. Once he knew he was out of her line of vision, he turned back and looked at her; she had perched herself on a stone near the edge of the pool, her knees pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around herself protectively. It was the last glimpse he had gotten of her before he had walked away, swearing to himself he wouldn’t go back.

That winter was harsh for the both of them; Asahina having to deal with the freezing of the pond and the cold it brought with it; she spent her time perched on the edge of the pond, sustaining herself with the water from the snow on the ground. Leon was hidden in a cave on a mountainside, curled up and dim, trying to protect himself from the cold; he looked shadowy and small, the flames that usually curled and flickered and ignited him in a brilliant glow dying down to the slight burning color of embers, like the remnant of a great fire. His heart had broken; of that he was sure. He curled himself up a little more, trying to fight off the harsh sting that their relationship had left behind. He couldn’t go and see anymore; it would be painful. Much more painful than this, or so he had convinced himself. He closed his eyes and tried to remember her; how she looked in the pale light of the moon and the glistening light of the Sun. It hurt to remember, but it would hurt more to forget.

Asahina hadn’t been fairing all that well either; no one usually dwelled near her clearing during the winter since the water was frozen over and all the animals were in hibernating, so she was more alone than ever. There was a twinge of hope inside her that Leon would come walking out of the bushes, coming to apologize, or yell at her, or something, anything; she couldn’t leave, being bound to her pool, so there was no way she could apologize. She had regretted what she had said; she was selfish and thought of no one but herself, not how he would feel. They could have still been friends, and he could still have come visited her; she was greedy, she had wanted more than what she could have. She rested her head on her knees, closing her eyes and trying to forget the times when he would visit her, and they would have stupid conversations and gazed up at the moon during the nights. She tried to forget his eyes; those blazing blue eyes that held all of the intensity of the flame from which he was born, but all the serenity of the water to which she was bound. She was unable to forget, and doomed to remember.


End file.
